A New Way
by WarLikeRegent
Summary: What if Alyss wasn't burned alive in the fire but taken by by Rhul's gang. Will has to cope with the loss of his wife any way he can even by getting himself a protege
1. The Begining

AN/ This is the first story I wrote about anything so if you want to see more of it then review. This is after the inn fire but before Will gets his apprentice.

Chapter One

The Beginning

" Jacob get up and go get some water !" yelled Jenny, his mom.

Jacob got when he got up his dog Rover met him with enthusiasm. Carrying the two pound bucket up and down a hill. A shaggy horse is coming up the road with a longbow. Jacob drops the bucket and runs to grab his dagger to protect his mother. His mother comes running out when she hears the commotion. She starts laughing when she sees the hooded figure and says

" Hey Will what does the ranger life bring today?"

Will drops his hood with a huge grin " I could have been Halt you know" he says.

" Well I do know that Halt would never ride Tug" said Jenny.

" Jacob go and get some water now that we know we aren't in danger" .

Jacob groans and picks up the bucket with Rover at his heels. When he gets back he finds them already in the house laughing about the old days. he asks

" What are you guys laughing about?".

" We are just talking about the days when we were young, and fit enough to move agilely, " says Jenny. They continue talking Jacob learns things like his mother was an orphan, she was skinny for a while, and that she used to be a world famous chef. When the subjects turns to Alyss, Will's sweet love. There is a tears running down Will's cheek, but Will will never say anything because he feels guilty for how she disappeared even if everyone but Halt and Pauline, didn't believe him.

"Well now it is time for us to get down to the reason I came here" But Jenny beats him to the punch as she says

" Yes he will happily serve under you as an apprentice,"

Jacob jolts up and says

" Why don't I get to choose what I want to do?"

"Well maybe you would but you can't stop talking about how you want to be a ranger," she says. Jacob has to admit he does want to train as a ranger. So he reluctantly agrees that in five days he will come with Will to learn to become a ranger. During the week Jacob became very popular since he would be training with the best ranger there is besides Halt of course.

When the week ended Jenny threw a going away party. When Will got there the inn was full Will frowned at this, he just wanted a to get Jacob and leave he hated being center of attention since Alyss died. He just have to use his ranger skills to sneak in there and tell Jenny that she would have to continue the party without Jacob and him.

Ten Minutes Later

Will and Jacob were on the way out of the small fishing village where Jacob grew up.

" Jacob one last look and you probably will never see this place okay?" Will stated.

As they ride through the countryside someone shoots an arrow at Will but Jacob quickly push Will out of the way.

"Hey what was that for!" shouted Will.

He turns around and sees that his companion has an arrow sticking in his collarbone and is mostly unconscious.

"Jacob don't move" …. But Jacob interrupts him.

"Really and why would I move with an arrow stuck in me!" Jacob's voice full of sarcasm,"

"Well sorry maybe I WILL HAVE SOMEONE ELSE HELP YO ... Will shouted with sarcasm but Jacob interrupts Will

" Okay I'm sorry about that but you might want to turn around because the guy who shot it is behind you," Jacob said quickly

Will spun around dagger drawn and swung it in a wide arc clipping the man on his sword hand making him drop the sword. When the sword hit the ground Will kicked it to the side and the flat side of the blade against him and asks.

" Who are you, what do you want, is the arrow poisoned?"

He starts to speak when a dog jumps and attacks. The man trys to move but with Wills iron grip is unbreakable. Rover hits his mark, the man's shoulder. The man falls to the ground with a look of terror on his face.

" Okay but call off the mangy mutt please,"

" He's not a mutt,"

" Now Jacob it is not the time to fight over Rover, call him off so we can get answers," said a rather annoyed Will, Jacob called him off.

" Okay I was paid to come and kill the Ranger who served with Ranger Halt in Redmont fief. I only got paid 100 gold so come sir I didn't mean it," the man said.

"Well that was no reason to call Rover a mutt now was it?" Jacob inqueird.

The man went limp with disbelief he came here to kill a King Duncan's finest ranger since Halt, but he was concerned about the mangy mutt. Will caught the man's movement. He went back to terror after only for a second of disbelief

" He thinks he's going to live now does he" Will thinks.

Will brought back the dagger and brought the edge of the blade to the man's throat getting ready to end a man who could have been part of the taking of his Alyss.

Jacob who saw what was coming took the knife out of his hand and grabbed Will by the cloak and said

" Just because Alyss died and you want to kill the one responsible for it believe me I know how you feel it won't help bring her back and I know she wouldn't want you live like this," Jacob says quietly. He keeps one eye on Will and one eye on the stranger.

" Will go stand by Tug and I'll take care of this sad excuse of a man okay?"

" Yea," Will agrees.

Jacob then releases the firm hold on the ranger and thought to himself that if Will wanted to he would have broke through the grip. He figured something fishy was going on and it wasn't the fishing village. Jacob moved to the man and asked

" What is your name and don't try to lie to me or this dagger will cut off your hand am I understood?"

" Yes my name is you can stick it to your donkey butt," the man said.

" Ah this man thought I was joking does he" Jacob moved so quick the man thought he was drunk but when a gut punch and knife to throat he decided the young man wasn't playing. " My name is Jarod okay just don't kill me!" the man exclaimed. Jarod let the terror in his body take over. Jarod told Will and his companion anything he could think of. Will put hogtied Jarod to his horse and they started off to Redmont Castle.

When they got to Castle Redmont they dismounted from their horses and walked the man into the baron's study.

" This man attacked me and my apprentice on our way back here to Redmont fief," Will stated in a cool tone that made it clear that it happened more often than not.

" Well lets see what do you about him?" queried the baron.

" He was sent by the bandits that took Alyss and burned my cabin down, and thank you for giving me supplies to rebuild it Arload," Will said.

" No problem you need a place to stay and I need a ranger that doesn't scare the daylights out of everybody like Halt,"

" Where Halt right now,"

" He is giving a debriefing to King Duncan and won't be back until next sundown,"

Will thought that was weird because it was his turn to report to Duncan and Halt was supposed to watch the fief while he told Duncan that he was going to leave service till he found Alyss. That was why it was weird for him to get an apprentice, but since Halt needed someone to help him cover Redmont then okay.

" Take Jacob and go back to the cabin, Settle down for a bit and I will let you know when Halt is back," the baron said.

Will turned and started walking down the corridor when Jacob asked.

" How does he know my name when I have never met him?"

" He knows because I told him who you were and because he knows your mother on a personal level," Will said.


	2. Tools of the Trade

AN/ This was posted cause TheOldOak reviewed this story and I promised that if you reviewed I would write another chapter

Chapter 2

Tools of the Trade

Jacob settled into his horse with Rover on his heels as they left Castle Redmont. Jacob wondered how his mother knew the baron on a personal level and asked Will about it.

" How did my mother know the baron Sir?"

"She grew up in the orphan ward that he ran with me and my friends and Alyss," Will said tightly, because he didn't want to discuss Alyss unless it was a way to find her.

Well he doesn't seem like he wants to help me find my friend Jillian who was taken about a month ago. Jacob stopped his thinking to get off his horse and tether his horse next to Tug.

" In the morning we have to start your training so we will start by giving out the tools of our trade, you are not to reveal certain tools unless these people are the King's staff or these people are close family," Will stated in a manner that said that if you break the rules you were not getting a warning but a death sentence.

" Sir but I need to have a day off once a week to search for my friend," Requested Jacob in what seemed a shy manner. She must mean a lot to him if he wants to give up all this training but hey I might just go with him so what then.

" Who is your friend and why do you want to find her so her so bad?"

" I never said it was a girl Will so how do you know that?" Jacob said defensively. His hand going to his sabre he got from the party. Will seeing the movement, raised his hands and said.

" Men do stupid things for women and sometimes we don't let go of her even when people say she died in a fire,"

The next morning Will wakes Jacob up early to get his weapons ready. When Will went to find Jacob in his room, he was surprised to see that Jacob was not in there. He went outside to see Jacob working on a wooden dummy you might see in the Knight's training area.

" Well I see that you get up bright and early well that's good for our line of work," Will complimented. Jacob looking like he didn't hear him continued to work on his dummy while humming a tune. Will decided to put him to the test and see his reaction to being snuck up on. Will ghosted around him till he was right behind him. With that he creeped till he was right on him and then he coughed. The movement was fluid Jacob didn't seem to have stopped working till he went to a needle by his lap and pulled the sabre while pivoting on one foot. Will was so surprised he forgot to block the swing and it cut him in the thigh. He dropped to the ground grabbing the wound and putting pressure on it to stop the blood flow.

Jacob felt like he might be sick he had just attacked his teacher. He started towards Will and was rambling about how sorry he was.

" Jacob I need for you to calm down and listen to okay," Will said trying not to cry out from the pain.

" Yeah ok yeah I understand Will whatever you need I can get, you want some ice, how about water you look kinda hot from here," Jacob rambled.

Will looked up at the panicking teen and grabbed his arms and shook him " You need to calm down you did nothing wrong you displayed perfect reactions to the situation, "

Jacob took small breaths calming down as the words entered his head. Jacob grabbed his sabre and put it away with the dummy

" You wanted to show me something Will, " Jacob questioned clearly trying to think of anything else than of injuring his teacher on his first day.

Will tore off a piece of his shirt and tied it around the wound. He whistled for Tug. Tug walked over to his rider and stopped allowing him to get the pack for his new ranger. Will layed the pack on the ground and beckoned Jacob. Will picked the sheathe and two knives.

"These are the toughtest blades in the world, normal swords would dent if they hit this."

"Put it on your belt and I'll take your sabre rangers don't use swords but on unique occasions." Will said. Jacob gave Will his sabre and put on his new sheathe and waited for Will to show him his bow.

"Now as you may know you won't be able to draw a full longbow, you will get a recurve bow untill you become a full ranger." Will explained as he gave Jacob so he could examine the bow.

Will gave him his quiver of arrow and folded the rest of the pack up and returned it to the cabin. When he returned to find Jacob shooting arrows at the targets methodically, setting his stance, raising his arms, pulling back his arms and releasing the string. Will whistled for hime to stop. Jacob stopped and looked at Will.

"You have good fundamentals you just have to speed it up till you don't think about what you do it's just instinct." Will said as he unslung his bow and shot at the targets hitting them dead middle.

"Now you do it untill you hit the target in the bullseye everytime then we'll work on speeding it up."

Jacob sighed and started working on hitting targets.

 **One hour later**

Jacob was finally hitting the targets with some speed he wasn't as good as Will but he was better.

"Ok go to sleep and tomorrow I have a surprise for you."

AN/ I hope you liked the the story so far. Review and next chapter Jacob gets his ranger horse.


	3. New Friends and Dark History's

**A/N: SorryI haven't uploaded in awhile I had so many thoughts for the story I had trouble putting them in order so expect a lot to come out soon.**

Chapter 3

New Friends and Dark History's

Jacob stretched his back as he finished cutting the wood for the fire. He lay the axe down and went to get a drink of water. When he entered the house he saw Will putting on his cloak and packing his travel bag.

"Where are we going?" Jacob asked as he moved to get his stuff ready to leave.

"Well if you payed attention when I talked to you yesterday you would know that we are going to get your horse," Will answered taking his bag and placing it by the door. He whistled to Tug and turned and waited for Jacob who was just finishing his packing.

"Come on get on the extra horse for now and leave Rover here he'll just get in the way," Will said as he got into his saddle.

After Jacob told Rover to stay they headed off into the forested path.

2 hours later

Will stopped finally at a small little farm as he dismounted Tug he just dropped the reins showing the traing of the ranger horse.

Jacob followed Will to a small barn a man was grooming a horse.

"Felix is the horse ready?" Will called as he walked into the barn with Jacob.

"Yeah he's ready but his your student ready for him," Felix said as he opened the gate for Jacob to enter.

"Ok now you need to find a way to get onto that horse over their in the corner," Felix stated as he shut the gate

"Well what's his name?" Jacob asked as he walked cautiously over to the horse.

"His name is Tiron and you aren't going to sneak up on him, so try another tatic," Felix said as he smothered a grin.

Jacob shot him a smoldering look and straitened up and called his name.

The horse's ear twitched the only sign it reconirecognized his name. As Jacob approached him he stood up. Jacob climbed onto the saddle and was not expecting the violent thrashing he got when he sat still. When he hit the ground Tiron scampered over to the other side of the pen and Jacob looked over to Felix and asked him "How do you ride him without being thrown off?"

"You have to say the password to him, his is would you mind,"

Jacob look at the horse and whispered it in his ear and then tried to mount him after a moment without being thrown off he smiled victorious. Will mounted Tug and turned for home. "Time to get back home,"

Jacob pettted Tiron's ear and turned to follow Will home. Will pressed his legs into Tug's side. Tug slowly started to move along the path.

"Will how did you become a ranger," Jacob asked as he shifted in the saddle. Will sighed and turned to face his companion.

"In the ward where I lived after my parents died was run by the baron, When we turn 14 we each got a chance to pick a trade in which we would apprentice in till, we became efficient in are trade. I wanted to become a battlemaster ,but I was to small to join. Halt was in the room and he saw how torn up I was. He knew my dad, because my father had saved him the kingdom was fighting the wargals. My father had died at the final battle, when Halt did his famous act. Will said as he turned around and continued to ride. Jacob followed along as he thought about what he was told.

When they arrived home Will lead the horses to the stable while Jacob went about doing his evening chores.

As Jacob finished Will entered the house Jacob asked Will if he could go to sleep for the night.

 **A/N: This is a short one but the next one is the true beginning of the story**


End file.
